1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus which makes it easier to learn to type, improves the accuracy of typing, increases typing speed and reduces wear on the user. More particularly, the present invention relates to a system for the rapid entry of text into a microprocessor-controlled word processing system making use of a keyboard having multiple alphabet letter characters assigned to at least one to as many as all of the keys.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional typewriters make use of twenty-six (26) letter keys, one for each letter of the English alphabet. One of the initial keyboard layouts is the xe2x80x9cQWERTYxe2x80x9d keyboard, which today remains the industry standard. Other formats have been devised, such as the Dvorak keyboard, that position keys about the keyboard in an ergonomic fashion for ease of use and accessibility. These alternative formats primarily seek to increase speed of typing and accuracy, as well as to reduce wear on the user.
Generally, all of the traditional keyboards provide an individual key for each letter of the alphabet. In addition to the letter keys, function keys are provided, such as ALT, CTRL, SPACE BAR, ENTER, and so forth. Consequently, the keyboards are congested with numerous keys and require a great deal of space. Likewise, these conventional keyboards require the user to memorize or be able to locate a particular key for each character the user would like to select.
Other keyboard layouts assign more than one character to a key, usually referred to as multiple letter key or double-touch systems. These systems, however, require the user to operate multiple keys in order to select a single desired character. Systems that require concurrent or simultaneous operation of multiple keys, such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,891,777, are sometimes referred to as chord systems. The chord systems require the user to expend twice the effort for each letter to be selected. In addition, these chord systems require the user to be able to remember 26 key combinations, one for each letter of the alphabet.
Other multiple key systems require the user to operate specific multiple keys in a successive manner. U.S. Pat. No. 5,062,070, for instance, shows a system in which multiple characters are provided for each key. However, in order to select the particular character desired, the user must make at least two successive keystrokes. Thus, the user must remember 26 different combinations of successive keystrokes, one for each letter of the alphabet. U.S. Pat. No. 5,007,008, on the other hand, provides a keyboard in which the user must scroll through each of multiple letters that are assigned to a single key by repeatedly depressing that key.
As a result of having to enter multiple keystrokes to select a single character, these double-actuation or multiple letter key systems are slow, tiresome, and prone to typographical errors. Accordingly, these systems are primarily used where a reduced keyboard size is of utmost importance, as opposed to speed and accuracy.
Another variation of typing, called abbreviated typing, involves only having to type part of a word. U.S. Pat. No. 4,459, 049, for instance, shows an abbreviated typing system in which the user only needs to enter four or less characters. The system will then search for the abbreviated word in memory. When the abbreviated word is located, the full word is entered from the memory into the document.
All of these keyboard systems are difficult to use and even more difficult to learn. Consequently, typing is slower and prone to mistakes. Moreover, these keyboards are all the more difficult to operate by persons that have not learned to use that particular type of keyboard. These xe2x80x9chunt and peckxe2x80x9d typists must search for the desired characters, which are often arranged in a non-alphabetic order and amongst a great number of keys.
Another type of keyboard entry is encountered on telephones that are used to access remote systems, called automated response systems. Generally, these automated response systems will recognize alphabet characters associated with a key depressed on a remotely located telephone keypad. One such system, for instance, is employed by the U.S. Supreme Court, wherein users simply dial the Supreme Court phone number in order to locate the docket number or status of a pending case. The user may call into the system from any conventional remote phone location.
Once the Supreme court automated response system is accessed, the user is prompted by voice message to specify the name of the desired case by depressing keys on the remote telephone keypad. Pursuant to current instructions, the user then proceeds to enter up to ten alphabetic characters of the name of one of the parties to the desired case on the keypad of the remote telephone. The conventional telephone keypad consists of twelve keys, 0-9, *, and #. Multiple letters are associated with each of numerical keys 2-9, so that all 26 letters are accounted for except for Q and Z, which the system specifies as being assigned to numerical key 1. The user then depresses ten numerical keys corresponding to the name of one of the parties. Or, the user may enter less than ten digits followed by the * key or a four-second delay. Once the party name has been entered, the system then searches the clerk""s office docket and provides a voice indication of the three closest cases that have been located by case number, parties, and status. If the user is not satisfied with any of those cases, the user may then speak with a docket clerk.
The automated response system described above is designed to accommodate conventional telephone keypads, with limited words in memory and is not implemented in a word processing environment. Consequently, the system is extremely slow and not readily adaptable for use as a speed typing arrangement. Moreover, the system is limited to use with voice or speech communication systems and with telephone keypads. Consequently, the automated response systems do not provide for editing memory, defining preferred terms, or defining new word variations. In addition, the telephone keypads are not designed for typing, much less speed typing.
As an alternative to the conventional keyboard, input devices have been mounted on the hand and fingers. Such devices are shown, for instance, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,581,484 to Prince, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,414,537 to Grimes. Basically, these systems place switches at various positions about the hand in order to simplify entry of information into a computer. However, these systems are not directed toward speed-typing.
The present invention relates to a system and method for rapid typing using a keyboard which has multiple characters assigned to at least one to as many as all of the keys, so that fewer than the number of letters in the alphabet using this system (e.g., fewer than 26 letter keys for the English alphabet or the 33 letters in the Russian alphabet). For example, all 26 letters of the alphabet may be assigned to 4, 6, 8, or 17 keys. Each such key on the keyboard is associated with a numerical digit whereby one or more series of digits form a code. The system uses the numerical code to access a dictionary or table of words stored in the computer""s memory at a memory location corresponding to the numerical code. The system may display all of the words available to the user in response to the input code. If more than one word is responsive to the coded numerical sequence, the user then selects one of the available words to be placed in the document.
The user is further given the option of selecting a preferred word or words to be associated with any given numerical code. When that code is typed in, the computer will display all words, with the preferred words displayed in ranked order. The user, however, may optionally select to display only the preferred word or words.
In addition, the user may be given the option of having the words associated with any given numerical code displayed in different ways, such as (1) in accordance with an order or degree of preference which the user defines, (2) in accordance with a predefined preference list which gives a higher ranking to those words that are the most commonly used, (3) in alphabetical order, or (4) in accord with special predefined categories of usage, such as legal or scientific terminology. The user has the option of having the priority list adjusted automatically based upon the selection of words made by the user when designating the desired word from the group of words with the same numerical code.
A further feature of the invention is that the user may select between a range of keyboard configurations, such as 4, 6, 8, or 12 letter keys to which are assigned the 26 letters of the alphabet. Also, the system will complete and display lengthy words before the user has finished typing them on the keyboard. The invention is preferably implemented on a traditional QWERTY keyboard, wherein multiple letters are assigned to the row of number keys, 0-9, typically located along the top row of the keyboard, or to the rectangular grid of numerals commonly located to the right side of the keyboard or the horizontal rows of keys to which letters are conventionally assigned. In addition, a specially-designed keyboard, which plugs into a computer, is also shown to implement the invention. The provision of fewer keys makes the special keyboard particularly better suited for use by persons with physical disabilities, and may be used in place of, or in conjunction with, the traditional keyboard.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a system for faster typing using a keyboard easier to remember and having as few or as many keys as the user desires.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a speed typing system that may be utilized with a compact keyboard that is not congested with excessive keys, thereby reducing size and space requirements of the input device.
It is another object of the invention to provide a keyboard that has multiple letters per key, yet only requires a single touch to select a desired letter key.
It is still a further object of the invention to provide a keyboard for speed typing that is ergonomic, reduces wear on the user, and easy to learn, and increases accuracy and efficiency.
It is another object of the invention to provide a typing system that is easy to use for persons with disabilities, such as arthritis.
It is another object of the invention to implement a speed-typing system with a finger-mounted input device.
It is still yet another object of the invention to design contoured keys for a keyboard that enable a user to sense the relative position of his hand on the keyboard.
It is another object of the invention to provide a quick and easy method for entering information for editing and typing using a speech recognition system.
It is another object of the invention to provide a system to compress data to reduce memory required to store data and increase speed of transmission.
These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent when reference is made to the drawings and description hereinbelow.